String wheel brush making machines



Sept. 5, 1967 R. B. MAXNER ETAL 3,339,983

STRING WHEEL BRUSH MAKING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 1965 fizz/en fans Ric/10rd]? Noxner Albert L. Cz'rncm By i/v ez'rAi iorney Sept. 5, 1967 R. B. MAXNER ETAL 3,

STRING WHEEL BRUSH MAKING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12, 1965 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Sept. 5, 1967 R. B. MAXNER ETAL STRING WHEEL BRUSH MAKING MACHINES Filed Nov. 12, 1965 QN x Q \N QNN NJ J kw Sept. 5, 1967 R. B. MAXNER ETAL 3,339,983 v STRING WHEEL B RUSH MAKING MACHINES '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 12, 1965 Sept. 5, 1967 R. B. MAXNER ETAL 3,339,983

STRING WHEEL BRUSH MAKING MACHINES '7' Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 12, 1965 tol CL Sept. 5, 1967 R. B. MAXNER ETAL 3,339,983

STRING WHEEL BRUSH MAKING MACHINES Filed Nov. 12, 1965 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 United States Patent Office.

3,339,983 STRING WHEEL BRUSH MAKING MACHINES Richard B. Maxner and Albert L. Ciman, Bedford, NH, assignors to S. A. Felton & Son Company, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine Filed Nov. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 507,348 8 Claims. (Cl. 300-3) This invention relates to brush making machines and is directed more particularly to a machine for making string wheel type brushes.

String wheel brushes generally comprise a cylindrical plastic or wood core having lengths of string stapled thereto. The brushes are used wherever there is a need for a light or soft polishing operation, as in automatic shoe shine machine and the like. Heretofore, it has been the custom to make such brushes by hand, requiring a reasonably high degree of skill on the part of the brush maker and resulting in such brushes being rather expensive.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved machine for making string wheel brushes.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a string wheel brush making machine, the operation of which requires little skill on the part of an operator.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the present invention contemplates as a feature thereof the provision of a machine having means for retaining a core piece and drilling holes at predetermined positions therein, means for accepting continuous lengths of string, means for cutting the string into predetermined lengths, and means for stapling the cut lengths of string in the holes in the core piece.

The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular machine embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in varied and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of string wheel brush making machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the machine with some parts omitted for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation-a1 view of that portion of the machine shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, at an enlarged scale, showing in detail a portion of the machine;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view, generally in section on line V--V of FIG. 4, showing one embodiment of an indexing mechanism of the machine;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view in section showing in detail a portion of the machine;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIIIVI II of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a machine;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of an indexing mechanism in the machine;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a string wheel brush core having one set of lengths of string stapled thereto; and

portion of the FIG. 12 is a detailed perspective view of a cutting mechanism in the machine.

Patented Sept. 5, 1967 Referring to FIGS. 1-3, it may be seen that the illustrative machine includes a frame 2 comprising a support plate 4 (FIG. 3) on which are disposed mounting members 6, '8, for supporting a table 10, and mounting members 12, 14, 15 for supporting a table 16. The frame of the machine includes two upright frame members 18, 20 (FIG. 1) interconnected at their upper extremities by a cross member 22. A vertical frame member 21 is supported by the cross member 22. The table 10 has mounted thereon block members 24, 26 (FIGS. 1 and 3) on which is fixed an index support table 28. The index support table 28 in turn supports another set of block members, 30, 32 on which is mounted a string carrier disc support plate 34. Rotatably mounted on the plate 34 by means to be further described below is a string carrier disc 36 which receives strands S of material to be stapled or otherwise set in a brush core piece, carries the strands to a cutting station, and further carries the cut strands to a stapling station.

For the purpose of rotating the string carrier disc 36, there is rotatably mounted in the frame members 18 and 24 a drive shaft 38 (FIG. 1) having .a bevel gear 40 on one end thereof. A shaft support plate 42 mounted on the upright frame member 18 has fixed thereto a number of brackets 44 which rotatably retain a shaft 46. The shaft 46 has bevel gears 48, 50 at either end respectively, with the gear 48 intermeshing with the gear 40. Thus, rotation of the drive shaft 38 is transmitted through the bevel gears 40, 48, to the shaft 46.

A bearing block 52 is fixed to the frame member 18. A bearing block 54 is mounted on the table 10 and together with the block 52 rotatably supports shaft 56 which carries a bevel gear 58, 60 at either end. The bevel gear 58 is in intermeshing engagement with the bevel gear 50 for transmitting rotational movement of the shaft 46 to the shaft 56. A pair of bearing blocks 62, 64 rotatably support a shaft 66 which has an enlarged portion 67 and which has fixed to one end a bevel gear 68 which intermeshes with the bevel gear 60. Accordingly, rotational movement of the shaft 56 is transmited through the bevel gears 60, 68 to the shaft 66. The shaft 66 passes through the block members 24, 26 and has attached to its end remote fro mteh bevel gear 68 a cam member 70 (FIGS. 2 and 3) having a depression 72 (FIG. 3). The operation of the cam member 70 will be described below.

There is also mounted on the shaft 66 a spur gear 74 having a hub 75 and another bevel gear 76 (FIG. 3). The bevel gear 76 intermeshes with a bevel gear 78 carried at the lower end of a vertical shaft 80 retained by the table 28 and plate 34. Keyed to the shaft 80 is a disc 82 having a hub portion 83 and also having a pin 84 mounted thereon (FIGS. 3 and 10). Thus, rotation of the shaft 66 is transmitted through the bevel gears 76, 78 to the shaft 80 and the disc 82. Rotation of the disc 82 carries the pin 84 through a circular path.

Attached to the upper surface of the plate 34 is a sleeve 85 which rotatably retains a shaft 88 which has fixed to its lower end a wheel 90 having a hub portion 86. The wheel '90 is characterized by radial notches 92. When the pin 84 is moved clockwise, as seen in FIG. 10, in its circular path about the axis of the shaft 80, it enters a notch 92 of the wheel 90 and causes the wheel to rotate counterclockwise through a particular part of a revolution. As the pin 84 continues in its movement, it disengages from the notch 92, leaving the wheel 90 stationary until the pin engages the next succeeding notch. Accordingly, rotation of the disc 82 causes incremental rotation of the wheel 90.

The shaft 88 is keyed to the wheel 90, so that rotation of the wheel 90 causes like rotation of the shaft 88. Keyed to the upper end of the shaft 88 is a tapered hub member 94. Mounted on the hub member 94 and secured thereto by screws 95 is the string carrier disc 36, referred to above. Thus, the incremental rotational movement of the wheel 90 is duplicated by the string carrier disc 36. Mounted on the upper end of the sleeve 85 is a stationary cam member 96 (FIGS. 3 and 4). A ring 98 secured to the underside of the string carrier disc 36 slidably receives a plurality of cam followers 100. Brackets 102 connected to the underside of the string carrier disc 36 also slidably retain the cam followers 100 respectively. The cam followers are disposed radially with respect to the'string carrier disc 36. Each cam follower 100 carries at one end a roller 104 which is engageable with the cam member 96. At the other end of each follower 100 there is attached a finger 106 which is shaped complementarily to a groove 108 (FIG. 3) in the periphery of the disc 36. Coil springs 110 urge the followers 100 toward the cam 96. Therefore, as the string carrier disc rotates, the fingers 106 are caused by the cam to move radially for purposes to be described below.

As the shaft 66 rotates, so does the spur gear 74. R- tatably mounted in the block 64 and in intermeshing engagement with the gear 74 is another gear 112 having a hub portion 114. Fixed on the face of the hub portion 114 is a pin 116 located for movement in a circular path when the gear 112 rotates. Mounted on the pin 116 is one end of a link 118. Accordingly, rotation of the gear 74 is transmitted to the gear 112 which causes the link 118 to 'move reciprocally, as will be described in further detail below.

A pair of blocks 120, 121 (FIGS. 2, 4, are mounted on the table 16 and receive a sleeve 122 (FIG. 5) which in turn receives a shaft 124. The shaft 124 has a longitudinal groove 126 which receives a number of keys 128 mounted in line in the sleeve 122. Thus,.the sleeve 122 and the shaft 124 rotate together but are free for longitudinal movement relative to each other. Fixed to the sleeve 122 for rotational movement therewith is a positioning disc, indicated generally by the reference character 130 and comprising a ratchet wheel portion 132, a face portion 134 and an intermediate portion 136. Pivotally mounted on the sleeve 122 is one end of an arm 138, the free end of which is pivotally connected to the free end of the link 118 (see FIG. 9). A pawl 140 is pivotally mounted on the link 118 by a pin 119 and engages the periphery of the ratchet wheel 132. Thus, the reciprocating motion of the link 118 permits the pawl 140 to engage successive teeth of the ratchet wheel 132 to cause the ratchet wheel to rotate incrementally. The pawl 140 has attached thereto one end of an extension piece 142 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 9), the other end of which is connected to a coil spring 144 which is anchored to the table 16 to bias the pawl 140 firmly against the ratchet wheel 132. It will thus be seen that rotation of the shaft 66 causes, through the link 118, the pawl 140 and the ratchet wheel 132, incremented rotation of the shaft 124. To insure that the shaft 124 turns in equal increments, the block 120 is provided with spring biased ball plungers 146 (FIG. 7) which urge small spherical members 148 against the face portion 134 of the positioning disc 130. The disc 130 is provided with a number of bores 150, there being one bore for each tooth on the periphery of the ratchet wheel 132. When the ratchet 132 is caused to rotate by the pawl 140, turning of the disc 130 disengages the members 148 from the bores 150. However, at the end of that particular increment of rotation the members 148 find the next succeeding bores 150 and are urged partially into the bores by the spring pressure, causing the disc 130 to stop at precisely the correct point.

The shaft 124 is received in a headstock member 152 (FIG. 2) and a tailstock member 156 and is rotatively secured to a second headstock member 154. Keyed to the shaft 124 and mounted in the headstock members 152, 154 are spur gears 160, 162, having hub portions 164, 166 respectively (FIG. 5). Also mounted in the headstock members 152, 154 are core piece turning gears 16 8,

170 connected to the gears 160, 162 by intermediary gears 172, 174. The core piece turning gears 168, 170 have attached thereto core piece turning shafts 176, 178, respectively, each shaft 176, 178 having a core piece mounting pin 180, 182 at its free end for receiving a string brush core piece C or core blank B. Thus, the core piece mounting pins 180, 182 receive the incremental rotational movement of the shaft 124 through the gears 160, 172, 168 and 162, 174, 170.

A mounting block 184 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and the block 121 support two parallel rods 186, 188. The headstock members 152, 154, the tailstock member 156, and a second tailstock member 158 are slidably mounted on the rods 186, 188. The tailstocks have shafts mounted therein (one seen in FIG. 5) for free rotation, each shaft 190 having a core piece mounting pin 192 on its free end. A coil spring 194 urges the tailstock 156 toward a headstock 152 and a coil spring 196 urges the tailstock 158 toward the headstock 154. The coil springs 194 and 196 are mounted on pins 195 fixed to the respective headstock and tailstock members. Accordingly, a core piece C or core piece blank B is securely held between a headstock and tailstock, it being necessary only to pull the tailstock against spring pressure, insert a core piece or blank on the headstock mounting pin, and release the tailstock so that its mounting pin engages the core piece under spring pressure. Once mounted the core piece B follows the incremental rotational movement dictated by the shaft 124.

A rod 198 (FIG. 2) is fixed by screws 200, 202 to the headstocks 152, 154. A pair of downwardly extending pins 204, 206 are engageable with the tailstocks 156, 158 and prevent the tailstocks from being drawn beyond the pins toward the headstocks by the springs 194, 196 when a core piece is not held by the headstock and tailstock members. A handle 208 (FIG. 3) is attached to one end of the rod 198. In order to move the headstock and tailstock members into a position more convenient for the inserting of new core pieces, the operator need merely grasp the handle 208 and pull the rod 198 to the right as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. A latch member 210 is pivotally secured to the table 16 and may be pivoted by the operator or by cam means (not shown) to engage the left hand side of the headstock 154 and prevent the return of the headstock 154 to the left under forces to be described below. Inasmuch as the rod 198 is fixed to the headstock 154 and the headstock 152 is fixed to the rod 198, and the tailstocks 156, 158 are held by the pins 204, 206 mounted on the rod 198, the entire core piece mounting assembly of headstocks and tailstocks is held in position by the latch 210. Having set the latch 210, the operator may then proceed to insert a new core piece as desired.

It is necessary that there be a provision for retaining the headstock and tailstock assembly, or core retaining means, in the loading position, because a spring 212 is fixed at one end to the headstock 152 (FIG. 1) and is at. its other end coiled around a drum 214 mounted on a post 215 standing on the plate 51 fastened to the underside of the table 10. The spring 212 urges the core retaining means leftwardly. Accordingly, after the operator has inserted core pieces as desired, he merely pivots the latch 210 to an unobstructing position and the entire core retaining means assembly is carried leftwardly into operating position by the spring 212.

The string carrier disc 36 is provided about its periphery with radial slots, alternating relatively long and short. The long slots 211 (FIGS. 2 and 4) are those presented to the stapling station and through which the stapling operation is conducted. The shorter radial slots 213 are those presented to the cutting station and through which a cutter 234 moves to sever the string S. The disc support plate 34 has fixed thereto one end of an extension 216 which at its other end 218 (FIGS. 4 and 12) is bifurcated, having prongs 220, 220. Rotatably mounted in the prongs 220 is a shaft 222 having a pulley 224 mounted on one end and a pulley 226 mounted on the other end. Disposed between the prongs 220 and pivotally mounted on the shaft 222 is a cutter support arm 228 which at one end carries a cutter support block 230. Rotatably mounted in the cutter support block 230 is a rotary cutter shaft 232 having fixed to one end thereof a rotary cutter 234 and to the other end thereof a pulley 236. The pulleys 236, 226 are interconnected by an endless belt 238. Mounted on the end of the cutter support arm 228 remote from the cutter support block 230 is a pin 240 on one end of which there is rotatably mounted a roller 242. A coil spring 244 (FIG. 12) interconnects the upper portion of the arm 228 with a base portion 246 (FIG. 3) of the sleeve 84 and urges the upper end of the arm 228 toward the disc 36 and the cutter 234 into a cutter slot 213. The cutter 234 is prevented from entering the disc cutter slot 213 by the engagement of the roller 242 with the cam 70, which prevents pivotal movement of the arm 228 on the shaft 222. However, when the depression 72 in the rollercontacting face of the cam 70 reaches the roller 242 it permits the arm 228 to pivot on the shaft 222 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 12, thereby permitting the cutter 234 to move in a direction toward the center of the disc 36 and into a cutter slot 213 to sever the string carried by the disc 36. As the cam 70 rotates and the depression 72 moves away from the roller 242, the cutter moves in a direction away from the disc 36 and out of the cutter slot 213, to remain there until the cam 70 again allows it to move toward the disc and into the next succeeding cutter slot 213. Supported by a frame member 247 is an electrical motor E which causes rotation of a shaft 248 on which there is mounted a pulley 249 (FIG. 6). The pulley 249 and the pulley 224 are interconnected by an endless belt 245. Accordingly, rotation of the shaft 248 is transmitted to the cutter shaft 232 and thereby the cutter 234 by the belts 245, 238.

Mounted on the cross member 22 is a drill head 250 (FIG. 1). The drill head is reciprocated and the drill 252 carried thereby rotated so as to bore holes in the core piece carried by the headstock 154 and tailstock 158. Also mounted on the cross member 22 is a staple feeding, cutting, forming and driving mechanism 260. The drill means 250 and the stapling means 260 are intermittenly and simultaneously operated to secure tufts in holes of a drilled brush core piece at the same time that corresponding holes are being drilled in a blank brush core piece. Thus, the boring means 250 is arranged over the core retaining means 154-158 for drilling holes and the stapling means 260 is arranged over the core retaining means 152-156 for applying tufts to the core piece. Means are provided for operating the boring means 250 and stapllng means 260 simultaneously and intermittently to bore holes in a blank core piece B and to staple tufts in previously bored holes in another core piece C so that the holes will be bored in one block in accordance with a predetermined pattern while tufts are secured in the holes in the other block, previously bored according to the same pattern. Illustrations of such boring and stapling mechanisms may be seen in United States Letters Patent No. 1,512,588, issued Oct. 21, 1924 upon application filed in the name of C. E. Fisher, and No. 2,324,480, issued July 20, 1943, upon application filed in the name of J. I. Carlson.

Mounted on the upright frame member 18 is a bracket 270 (FIG. 1) which supports a rigid feeder tube 272 which receives the strands of string S and directs them to the periphery of the string-carrying disc 36. Also mounted on the frame member 18 is a bracket 274 on which is fixed a switch 276, having a plunger 278, engageable by a pin 279 mounted on the core piece turning gear 168, the purpose of which will be discussed in the description of the operation of the machine. Secured to the upright frame member 20 is a control panel 280 having a start 'button 282 and a stop button 284. 7

When the stapling means 260 drives a staple W (FIG. 11) into a hole 286 of a core piece C, it is important that strands previously stapled to the core piece not be in the way of the down-coming staple. To this end there is provided a guard member 288 (FIG. 4) which is attached to the table 16 and which holds tufts already fastened to the core piece C, and rotating toward the topmost position, away from the bore to be stapled. In addition, an air jet may be used to further insure non-interference with the stapling operation. Thus, an air nozzle 290 is secured to the table 16 and positioned so as to direct air in the desired direction.

As the staple is traveling downwardly toward the core piece, it encounters cut lengths of string and continues downwardly, carrying the string with it until the staple and string are embedded in the core piece, as shown in FIG. 11. To insure that the tufts of cut string will not fall below the staple before the staple encounters the core piece, there are provided on the disc 36 and on opposite sides of each staple slot 211 leaf springs 292 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 9). The springs 292 on either side of the staple slots extend downwardly, inclining toward each other and at their lower extremities engage each other. In the stapling operation, the staple and tufts are advanced through a staple slot 211' and through a pair of leaf springs 292. The pair of springs 292 cooperate to hold the tufts between them in a substantially vertical attitude while the staple is being driven home. When the disc 36is indexed one station, the tufts easily slip between the springs 292.

In the operation of the machine, an operator engages the start button 282 on the control panel 280 to energize the electric motor E for turning the rotary cutter 234, and for energizing motors, not shown, for rotating the drill 252 and for rotating a driving means (not shown) which through a clutch mechanism (not shown) provides driving power to the stapling mechanism 260 and the drive shaft 38. The operator then manually moves a lever 294 (FIG. 1) to engage the clutch mechanism (not shown) and thereby to cause rotation of the drive shaft 38. The rotational movement of the shaft 38 is transmitted through the bevel gears 40, 48, the shaft 46, the bevel gears 50, 58, the shaft 56, and the bevel gears '60, 68 to the shaft 66. Rotation of the shaft 66 causes simultaneous rotation of the spur gear 74, the bevel gear 78, and the cam member 70.

Rotation of the spur gear 74 causes rotation of the gear 112 which, through the link 118 and the pawl causes incremental rotation of the ratchet wheel 132. The incremental rotation of the ratchet wheel 132 is transmitted through the shaft 124 to the spur gears 160, 162. The incremental rotation of the spur gears 160, 162 is transmitted through the intermediary gears 172, 174 to the core piece turning gears 168, which cause incremental rotation of the core piece C mounted in core piece retaining means 152,.156 and a core piece blank B retained by core piece retaining means 154, 158.

The ratchet wheel 132 is a portion of the positioning disc 130 which also includes the face portion 134. Attached to the face portion 134 of the positioning disc 130 by screws 296 is 3. lug 298 (FIG. 5). A bracket 300 extends downwardly from the table 16 and has pivotally mounted on its downward end a lever 302 which at one end is engageable with the lug 298 and at the other end carries a pawl 304. The end of the lever 302 mounting the pawl 304 is urged downwardly by a coil spring 306 located in a bore 308 in the table 16. Secured to the head stock 152 by screws 310 is a rod 312 having teeth 314 on its upper surface engageable with the pawl 304. When the positioning disc 130 has completed a revolution, and therefore when the core piece C and the core piece blank B have each completed a revolution, the lug 298 engages the lever 302 to pivot it about a pivot pin 316 in the bracket 300 so as to disengage the pawl 304 from a tooth 314 of the rod 312 against the pressure of the spring 306. When the pawl 304 is raised from the tooth 314 the head stock 152 is urged leftwardly as seen in FIGS. 1 and 5 by the spring 212. As the disc 130 continues its rotational movement the lug 298 disengages from the lever 302 and the spring 306 urges the pawl 304 into engagement with the next successive tooth 314 of the rod 312. Thus, after the core piece C and the core piece blank B have been rotated substantially one revolution, the core retaining means moves longitudinally into position for another series of circumferential operations.

Besides causing the core pieces B and C to rotate incrementally and to move longitudinally after each series of circumferential operations, turning of the shaft 66 also causes, through the bevel gears 76, 78 and disc 82 and the wheel 90, rotation of the spring carrier disc 36. Because of the manner in which the disc 82 causes rotation of the wheel 90, the disc 36 also rotates incrementally. Strands of string S guided through the feeder tube 272 are brought into the vicinity of the periphery of the disc 36. Referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that as the disc 36 rotates, the fingers 106 are caused by the cam 96 to urge the string into firm engagement with the periphery of the disc. The incremental rotation of the disc is such that a staple slot 211 is in position over the core piece C at the same instant that the core piece is in position for receiving a staple. The stapling mechanism 260 at this time advances a staple through the staple slot 211, between the leaf springs 292 and into a bore 286 of the core piece C. On the way downward the staple engages and carries with it a cut length of strands which are pulled from between the fingers 106 and the periphery of the disc '36. As mentioned above, the leaf springs 292 hold the cut strands, or tufts, upwardly so they will not interfere with the embedding of the staple. As the core piece C rotates, the guard member 288 and the air nozzle 290 cooperate to keep the operating area of the core piece clear of the previously embedded tufts.

While the disc 36 is momentarily stopped for a stapling operation, the rotary cutter 234 is caused by the spring 244 and the cam 70 to enter the adjacent cutter slot 213 to sever the string at that point. Inasmuch as the core moving means, the disc moving means and the cutter moving means all operate off the shaft 66, they are easily coordinated to effect their incremental movements in timed relationship. By means known in the prior art, the stapling means 260 and the boring means 250 also operate in timed relationship with the movement of the core pieces C and B.

When the last operation has been completed on the core pieces C and B, the pin 279 mounted on the gear 168 engages the plunger 278 of the switch 276 which automatically disengages the clutch (not shown) transmitting power to the drive shaft 38. Also disengaged is power to the stapling means and boring means. The operator grasps the handle 208 and pulls the rod 198, and thereby the core retaining means, along with the shaft 124 and the rod 312, to the right as viewed in FIG. 3. Operation of the latch 210 prevents the core retaining means sliding back into operative position. The operator pulls the tail stock 156 away from the head stock 152 and removes the complete string wheel brush. He then pulls the tail stock 158 away from the head stock 154 and removes the freshly bored core piece and inserts it between the head stock 152 and the tail stock 156. A new core piece blank is then inserted between the head stock 154 and tail stock 158. The operator disengages the latch 210 which permits the core retaining means 152456, 154-158 to move leftwardly under the influence of the spring 212 until the first tooth 314 of the rod 312 is engaged by the pawl 304. The operator then moves the lever 294 to engage the clutch (not shown) which transmits power to the boring means 250, the stapling means 260 and the drive shaft 38 to begin another cycle of operation.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A brush making machine comprising means for retaining a core piece, a disc having means about its periphu ery for receiving continuous strands of brush bristle material, finger means for retaining said strands along the periphery of said disc, said disc having radial slots about its periphery, cutter means for severing said strands, means for rotating said disc incrementally about its axis, means for moving said cutter means intosaid slots whereby to sever said strands into relatively short lengths, and means for attaching said lengths to said core piece.

2. Machine for cutting a continuous strand of material into segments of predetermined length comprising a disc having means about its periphery for receiving said strand, means for retaining said strand about the periphery of said disc, said disc having radial slots spaced equally about its periphery, a cutter for cutting said strand, means for rotating said disc in incremental steps about its axis, said cutter being responsive to said disc rotating means to move into one of said slots during the time the disc is stationary between incremental steps whereby to out said strand into relatively smaller segments.

3. Machine for cutting a continuous strand of material into segments of predetermined length comprising a disc having a groove about its periphery for receiving said strand, means for rotating said disc, fingers mounted on said disc and being responsive to the rotation of said disc to move serially radially outward from said disc to permit said strand to be led into said groove, said fingers being responsive to further rotation of said disc to move serially radially inward of said disc to clamp said strand in said groove, said disc having radial slots about its periphery, and a cutter for cutting said strand, said cutter being responsive to said disc rotating means to enter said slots sequentially whereby to cut said strand into relatively short lengths.

4. Machine for cutting a continuous strand of material into segments of predetermined length comprising a disc having means about its periphery for receiving said strand, means for retaining said strand about the periphery of said disc, said disc having slots spaced equally about its periphery, a cutter for cutting said strand, means for rotating said disc about its axis, means responsive to said disc rotating means for moving said cutter into one of said slots whereby to sever said strand, said cutter moving means being further responsive to said disc rotating means to move said cutter out of said slot after said strand has been cut.

5. A brush making machine comprising means for retaining a core piece at the ends thereof, means for receiving continuous strands of brush bristle material, means for cutting said strands into relatively short lengths, means for moving said short lengths serially into position for engagement with said core, means for attaching said lengths to said core, and means for moving said core incrementally rotatively and lengthwise whereby said attaching means operates to cover the core evenly with said lengths of material throughout the surface of the core piece exclusive of the ends.

6. A brush making machine comprising means for retaining a blank core piece, means for boring holes in said blank core piece, means for moving said blank core incrementally rotatively and lengthwise whereby said boring means operates to bore holes in a predetermined pattern in the surface of said core, means for mounting a second core piece having been previously operated upon by said boring means, means for receiving continuous strands of brush bristle material, means for cutting said strands into relatively short lengths, means for moving said short lengths into position for engagment with said second core piece, and means for attaching said lengths to said core piece, said first core moving means being operable further to move said second core piece in like manner as said first core piece whereby said attaching means operates to attach the cut lengths of bristle material to said second core in the holes of said second core respectively.

7. A brush making machine comprising first and second mounting means for two brush core pieces, means for incrementally moving the core pieces equidistantly, drilling means located adjacent to the first of said mounting means, bristle attaching means located adjacent to the second of said mounting means, strand handling and cutting means for receiving continuous strands of brush bristle material, severing the strands into predetermined lengths, and for presenting said predetermined lengths in position to be fastened into holes in one of said core pieces, and power actuated means for operating said several means in time relation whereby a predetermined pattern of holes is drilled in one core piece by the drilling means while predetermined lengths of brush bristle material are severed from the continuous strand and fastened into holes in the other core by the bristle attaching means.

8. A brush making machine comprising first and second mounting means for two cylindrical core pieces in end-to-end relation, means for incrementally moving the core pieces longitudinally and rotatably, drilling means located adjacent to the first of said mounting means, stapling means located adjacent to the second of said mounting means, means for receiving continuous strands of brush bristle material, means for severing the strands into predetermined lengths, means for presenting said predetermined lengths in position to be fastened into holes in one of said core pieces, and power actuated means for operating said several means in time relation whereby a predetermined pattern of holes is drilled in one core piece by the drilling means while predetermined lengths of brush bristle material are severed from the continuous strand and fastened into holes in the other core by the staple means.

No references cited.

GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner. 

1. A BRUSH MAKING MACHINE COMPRISING MEANS FOR RETAINING A CORE PIECE, A DISC HAVING MEANS ABOUT ITS PERIPHERY FOR RECEIVING CONTINUOUS STRANDS OF BRUSH BRISTLE MATERIAL, FINGER MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID STRANDS ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DISC, SAID DISC HAVING RADIAL SLOTS ABOUT ITS PERIPHERY, CUTTER MEANS FOR SEVERING SAID STRANDS, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DISC INCREMENTALLY ABOUT ITS AXIS, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CUTTER MEANS INTO SAID SLOTS WHEREBY TO SEVER SAID STRANDS INTO RELATIVELY SHORT LENGTHS, AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID LENGTHS TO SAID CORE PIECE. 